


Lone Wolf

by the-eagle-of-masyaf (Dunkelherz)



Series: Shadow Riders [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed, Ladyhawke (1985)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Complete, Curses, Established Relationship, M/M, Oneshot, Shadow Riders, eagle - Freeform, request, sidestory, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 07:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dunkelherz/pseuds/the-eagle-of-masyaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not always easy for Malik to keep the wolf in control. Altair has to learn that the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lone Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheGreatMaw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatMaw/gifts).



> Oneshot for Shadow Riders.

It was late fall and winter was close, the weather got worse with every passing day and ever since the last day of summer the mountaintops were showing snow. It wouldn't take much longer for it to arrive in the valley and they needed to find a way to survive the short days and long nights in the cold – it'd be the hardest for Malik, he would need to find a way to make it through the long nights. It was their first winter like... this.

 

Their first winter not as humans nor as beasts – they were different, cursed creatures and Malik often wondered how he was able to act human when he couldn't even _stay_ human. Not like this, not at day at least. So sometimes, when the people of the Kingdom met him with disgust in their eyes he asked himself why he shouldn't come back at nights to take his revenge, to feast on their blood and meat. His hate for them, for their new King grew with every day and they both knew it wouldn't take much longer until they would no longer be tolerated to stay at the Kingdom. They were defeated, their Order broken and under new command and he and Altair were nothing but outcasts. They were homeless, nobodies, no name to remember and nothing but mere shadows walking among earth. It wasn't as if Malik wanted to stay – they had a mission after all and it was what kept him going.

 

Hope.

 

There was still hope to find the one man who had put that curse among them, who had taken their freedom. But this was something he didn't yet dare to dream about. Right now they needed to survive the winter, they needed to find their Shadow.

 

Altair was crying above his head and Malik looked up, pulling the scarf from his mouth while the wind was ripping at his clothes. Altair cried again and flew a circle above his head and Malik looked back at the horizon, lights stringing together like a bead chain in the far distance. A village, after all they finally reached a village. It probably was one of the last one within the borders of the Kingdom; probably the last time Malik had to endure the looks on him, how they looked down on him, how they saw him as a traitor – he, who had fought for their freedom. They knew nothing. They knew nothing and it angered Malik even further that they followed their new King like little mindless sheep.

 

The sun was about to go down, Malik knew it would be hours after nightfall until they would finally reach the village and then who would host them? Two strangers in the night in a land still tortured by war's aftermath? Nobody. If they were lucky they'd maybe be able to spend the night at a stable, maybe they'd be able to get some food in the morning. Right now though the last rays of the sun were slowly vanishing behind the mountains dipping the sky into a soft red, blue and purple.

 

Altair landed in front of his feet, head cocked to one side and Malik knew he was waiting and sure thing, none of them was disappointed when the sun had finally settled for the night with Altair standing in front of him, naked and shivering but looking at him with bright amber eyes. “Malik”, he said his voice sounding a little husky and trembled due to the cold. “This is about all we have”, he added and Malik knew, fuck he knew too well and he crossed the distance between them, hugging Altair's shivering form close to warm him, his hands rubbing along his side and back.

 

“You saw the village?”, Malik murmured into his ear, stepping closer still so Altair could soak up the warmth radiating off his body while Altair curled his fingers around the fabric of Malik's clothes, pulling the scarf from his face and head. “Yes”, he nodded and kept pulling against his coat, reaching for his shirt next. They were sharing after all – it was easier than to carry around a second pair of clothes. “We're going to arrive there tonight... I saw a few stables, some cattle. Three or four houses, all farmers”, Altair went on in a hoarse voice, unbuckling Malik's belt.

 

“Cattle...”, Malik hummed and let Altair's fingers do their work. “I'm sure they're going to be happy to see me then”, he added and it made Altair stop and looking up at him.

 

“They don't have to see me.”

 

“But they could”, Malik said and cupped Altair's hands with his own, urging him to keep on moving and pulled his pants down. “And then-”

 

“And then we're going to meet up later”, Altair told him, reaching up to cup his cheek with his thumb stroking across rough skin. While it usually helped, it didn't do the trick this time, Malik's anger still flickering like a flame behind his eyes and they both knew it wouldn't take much for it to become and inferno. “Hey”, Altair said, “They won't see you. Not this time.”

 

Malik's eyes snapped up, the memory was too fresh, his pride was still hurt and that wasn't the only thing. “I won't let them get away this time”, he warned Altair and the man reached with his second hand to cup his face, kissing him ever so softly on the lips. “No you won't”, Altair said. “Don't blame them for what he did to us.”

 

“But it was their arrow who hit me in the shoulder. It still isn't healed you know?” Malik tried to pull away from Altair's touch but he didn't let him, instead brought his arms around his shoulders to keep him close.

 

“They were trying to protect their village and their cattle-”

 

“I wasn't even close!”, Malik cried and this time he broke lose, taking a step backwards and glaring at Altair with wild eyes – maybe he was already changing. “I wasn't close, I wasn't even approaching their damn cows and sheep, I wasn't-”

 

“I know, alright?” Altair cut right through his words. “I know it isn't fair, this isn't easy it's... it's not”, he sighed eventually and rubbed his face, looking up the darkening sky. “I know it's hard”, Altair whispered eventually. “Don't- don't do this. Not when all we have is this”, Altair tried it again to calm him down but every word he said made Malik angrier. He wanted to be furious, he didn't want to be reasonable. He wanted to be fucking mad, he wanted to be _allowed_ furious – the last he wanted was to calm down. So instead he shook his head, walking backwards and stepped out of his pants and kicked off his boots, one of them almost hitting Altair.

 

“Fuck them”, he spat and felt the anger crawling up his spine, consuming him with its hot flame, burning everything down in its way. “I am _nothing_ like this”, Malik spat and gestured down his body, “but I am less than dirt when I'm a wolf.”

 

“Malik-” The words stuck in Altair's throat. The sky turned from red into a light blue, the first stars showing while the moon rose to new live and Altair looked down at Malik, the wolf's body trembling before he shook his head, huffing loudly. For a second Altair could still see the man in th wolf's eyes, if only for a second before the beast took over. Malik shuffled his feet, his gaze setting on Altair and he growled.

 

“Easy boy”, Altair muttered and held up his hand, palm facing Malik to keep him on distance. “Come on it's me”, he added while Malik kept growling at him, his fur standing on end showing his teeth. Malik took a step forwards, lowering his head while his eyes never let go of Altair. “Malik”, he said again but Malik didn't know his own name anymore, couldn't separate from friend or fiend.

 

He attacked, simple as that.

 

Malik crossed the distance between him and Altair, fast, jumping before Altair was even ready to draw one of his weapons – not that he could anyway. Who'd be able to draw a weapon against the lover? Not him, not Altair but Malik was able to attack, was able to snap at his face in order to bite through skin and muscles, to taste some blood. Malik growled, barked, bit after Altair as they fell together to the ground, Altair holding up his arm to protect his face, there was blood and fuck, fuck! Malik wasn't going to stop. The _beast_ wasn't going to stop, the beast was in control now.

 

There was no man, no Malik left but pure simple rage he'd been holding back for so long now – and it was so easy to let go of control, so easy to follow the urge which had been itching him all along. It was so easy to follow the beast's instincts, everything was just so easy when you could bite through bones and muscles just like that. Malik tasted blood and he'd been hungry for so long that he couldn't stop. He was blind and a blind wolf was nothing you wanted to meet.

 

“Malik!”

 

He almost didn't hear the voice, not when the barking and growling was so loud not when the beast was screaming for vengeance.

 

“Sit boy!”

 

It was an order and it was a rather simple order, an order you wouldn't give a human being but a dog and-

 

Malik cocked his head to one side. Not the beast not the wolf but Malik and he slowly looked down, a pair of paws coming into his sight and his eyes traveled further, a body lying underneath him hardly moving and then he met Altair's gaze, face covered in blood.

 

He immediately stepped back, whimpering when he came back to senses, when he could taste blood in his mouth, Altair's blood.

 

“Shit...” Altair groaned and Malik didn't have the strength anymore to keep himself up and he sat down, heavily. He felt dizzy and the taste in his mouth disgusted him. He looked up at Altair who got slowly up, reaching for his face. “Fuck”, he cursed again, pulling back his bloody fingers and looking at Malik. “You lousy dog”, he spat, blood and spittle running down his chin.

 

Malik didn't even show any sign of reaction – he deserved this. Hell, he had no idea what just happened but his fur was covered with Altair's blood and he was bleeding heavily and lay to the ground. Altair felt for his face again, his fingertips moving over his lip. “It needs stitches”, he said after a while and hissed in pain – apparently speaking was hurting him so he glared at Malik, his stare saying more than a thousands words would ever do. “And it's going to scar. I'm not good at doing this, I'm even worse stitching myself back up together”, Altair muttered, every word slowly spoken and hardly to understand. Malik could see the wound getting bigger every time Altair was speaking to him. He had no idea if it was from him biting Altair or if it'd been one of his claws tearing through the skin. It didn't matter.

 

The wolf slowly got back into motion, walking carefully up to Altair and tilting his head to one side, making a small sound. Altair simply glared at Malik.

 

“Fuck it Malik, I'm angry”, he said and yes, Altair held every right to feel fucking furious with him. He went to pick up Malik's clothes -now his own- and started getting dressed before he sighed heavily, still bleeding. Malik knew he had to make a fire first so he could heat up the needle and he wished he could help but not like this – not when he was in this form.

 

“Don't ever do that again”, Altair warned him, wiping some of the blood off his chin. “Do not let the beast win.”

 

For a second Malik thought Altair was right and he nodded once with his head - but then it made him wonder if it'd really been the beast taking control over him or if he'd been a beast all along, even when he'd been human and was only now showing his true self.

 

He wouldn't know. The Shadow was the only one knowing the answer to that and it made Malik realize once more that in order to get his humanity back, he'd have to fight more demons than just him – first of all he'd have to fight his own.  


End file.
